During the Year for Priests, I'm going to attempt to unpack some of the insights from Pope John Paul II's Pastores Dabo Vobis ("I Will Give You Shepherds"), partly as a way of making myself more familiar with the document, and partly with the hope that it will encourage others to look more closely at this letter (and the Church's teaching on the ordained priesthood in general). Perhaps it will also generate some interesting discussion.

Living in an age of hyperinformation, I think we often miss the significance of messages that we encounter along the way... in part simply because of the volume of messages we receive each day, and in part because not all of the messages that pass by are of equal weight. The effect is the trivialization of nearly all messages in our consciousness. In the words of T.S. Eliot in The Dry Salvages, "We had the experience but missed the meaning."

I've discovered in my own life that I need to slow down from time to time in order to really soak in a particular message -- a Gospel passage, a book, a letter. It's not unlike my need to spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass. The Eucharistic liturgy provides only a few moments in which to consider and contemplate the gift of Christ's sacrifice and presence. Adoration provides such an opportunity, offering a still point in a turning world, in which I can return to the moment of encounter and unpack a bit of its richness.

At any rate, that's the purpose of this project. It's not an effort to produce any sort of authoritative exposition of the Pope's letter -- I would not be capable of such a thing anyway -- but simply to see if I can gain something by slowing down and examining the text more carefully... to chew my food, so to speak, rather than swallowing it whole.

I've done this once before on this blog, with the encyclical Veritatis Splendor. That's a project that has been left unfinished. I'll likely return to it one day. But for now, in this Year for Priests, it seemed a good time to think more deeply, with the Church and in the Church, about the ordained priesthood.

I hope you'll join me.

Labels: blogging, church, communication, John Paul II, paschal mystery, pastores dabo vobis, priesthood, sacraments, Year for Priests

I attended the ordination of Bishop Lee Piché yesterday at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, and captured some photos and audio on my iPhone.


I'm posting the images and audio recordings here, with apologies in advance for the quality of some of the audio. I was standing at the back of the right transept, which was near an open door, so there are a few patches of noise in the recordings when wind brushed the very sensitive microphone on my phone.

Entrance Procession: Behold, a New Creation - James Biery (2:32)

Liturgy of the Word: Psalm 34 - Howard Hughes, SM (excerpts; 1:20)


Rite of Ordination: Hymn - Veni, Creator Spiritus - Mode VIII Chant (excerpt; 0:31)

Accende lumen sensibus, infundeamorem coribus, informa nostri corporis virtute firman perpeti.

Enkindle your light within our minds, pour love into our hearts; strengthen the weakness of our body by your never failing power.

Rite of Ordination: Apostolic Letter and Consent of the People (3:18)

The mandate from the Apostolic See is read. This authenticates the Holy Father's choice of this priest for ordination to the Episcopate. The letter is formally presented to the Chancellor of the Archdiocese.

Rite of Ordination: Homily (12:07)

Archbishop Nienstedt addresses Bishop-elect Piché and all present on the office of Bishop.

Rite of Ordination: Litany of Supplication (excerpts; 3:32)

The Archbishop invites all present to beg God to grant an abundance of His grace to His chosen servant.

Concluding Rites: Address by the Newly Ordained (4:25)

Bishop Piché speaks to the people present.

The rest of my photos from the ordination are posted on Flickr.

Coverage in The Catholic Spirit may be found here.

Labels: bishop, church, communion, events, Holy Spirit, multimedia, pope benedict xvi, prayer, priesthood, sacraments

Today, Pope Benedict XVI signed his third encyclical letter, Caritas in Veritate ("Charity in Truth").

According to a Catholic News Agency article, it may be a week or more before the publication becomes available:

The upcoming social encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI "Caritas in veritate" - Charity in truth - will bear the date of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, June 29, but will likely become public on July 6 or 7, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera said on Saturday.

An article by Gian Guido Vecchi quotes what he claims are several original paragraphs of the Pope’s third encyclical.

The article goes on to provide some passages that will supposedly be included. Among the citations, this:

According to Vecchi, the encyclical will hardly be “good news to the liberals and bad news to the conservatives,” as claimed by some analysts who have not seen the text of the document.

“The Pope quotes Paul VI’s Populorum progressio, which in 1967 denounced the gap between rich and poor countries, but the encyclical also takes from Humanae vitae in criticizing abortion and contraception,” Vecchi writes.

The encyclical, in fact, is likely to say that “openness to life is at the core of every true development,” and regarding the ambiguous policies aimed at “reducing the need for abortion” by means of other social policies, the Pope warns that “if personal and social sensibility toward the welcoming of a new life is lost, even other forms of welcoming (life) useful to social life become fruitless.”

We'll have to wait and see.

Labels: church, moral life, pope benedict xvi

I think of how it began.

Paul Furey, continue to remember us in your prayers. You are certainly in our own.

Labels: communion, paschal mystery, pauline year, prayer, saints, suffering

Today is the feast day of St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei. He died on this day in 1975.

In this Year for Priests, it seems appropriate to highlight his solicitude for priests:

His love for the priesthood and for priests was transparent. In 1941, he had to leave town for one of these retreats in Lérida. Although his mother was ill, he decided to go anyway because the doctor did not think it was serious.

“Could you offer your sufferings for the work I’m going to do?” he asked her.

As he left the room he heard her murmur: “This son of mine…”

Arriving at the seminary of Lérida, he had knelt before the tabernacle, saying: “Lord, look after my mother, for I am taking care of your priests.”

Two days later, the thought of his mother still very much in his heart, he proceeded to preach on the role of the priest’s mother. It occurred to him to tell his listeners that her role was so important that she should not die till the day after the death of her son the priest.

After the meditation he remained recollected in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Then the apostolic administrator of the diocese, who was making the retreat, came up to him somewhat disconcerted and said in a low voice: “Álvaro del Portillo would like you to phone him in Madrid.”

His mother, Dolores, had died.

Years later, Saint Josemaría affirmed, “I have always thought that our Lord wanted that sacrifice from me, as an external proof of my love for diocesan priests, and that my mother especially continues to intercede for that work.”

(source)

Here are a couple of additional resources on St. Josemaría Escrivá:

• his writings
• novena to Saint Josemaría for work

Labels: prayer, priesthood, saints

I saw an advance screening of The Stoning of Soraya M in Minneapolis several weeks ago. I have a friend at Mpower Pictures, the production company who is distributing.

I think it's a tough sell.

Great performance by Shohreh Aghdashloo, although there are some unanswered questions about how her character came to be the maverick she is.

The stoning is as graphic as the scourging scene in the Passion (Steve McEveety producing on both), but to less purpose here, I think. Watching Jesus suffer is meaningful for a believer. Watching Soraya get bloodied to a pulp is less meaningful as spectacle. Don't see the point in having the camera linger on it. I would definitely not classify this as a family film.

No epiphanies really -- it has a moral (treating women badly is bad) but no theme ... nothing to be argued.

And I don't know what they want the audience to come away with -- except some general sense that the culture depicted needs to be deconstructed / exposed... but it raises all kinds of questions: Are ALL Muslims like this? Are all the abusive men one-dimensional and unsympathetic like the husband in this film? It's a morality play of sorts, I suppose.

For a vigorous discussion of story as epiphany, heroes in cinema storytelling, how dark is too dark, etc., visit the podcast site for last October's Act One Story Symposium.

Panel discussions include Hollywood writers, producers, and the winsome Dr. Peter Kreeft.

Labels: hollywood, movies

This week, the priests of the archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis gather for their Presbyteral Assembly in Rochester, MN. As a result, very few parishes are offering daily Mass... a good reminder not to take our parish priests for granted.

Fr. Benedict Groeschel presented a great show on How to Treat Your Parish Priest on EWTN Live back on December 15, 2007. I have made the audio available on my podcast feed. (You can subscribe to the feed in iTunes here.) A teaser:

...Let's turn down the criticism. Unfortunately, you will find at the extremes bitter criticism at the far left and the far right. You know, if you go far enough to the left and far enough to the right, you end up in China together. And here is an incredible absurdity. There are some people who are so disrespectful to the Pope and to the Holy Spirit that they claim no priests have been validly ordained for 50 years. So when they look around for a priest to say Mass, they may not find one who is 50 years a priest, so they have Mass all by themselves, without a priest, which is condemned as heresy by the Council of Trent. On the other side, you get the people who want to have women priests, which the Holy Father has said is not possible, and so they have Mass without a priest, said by... the words are said by... a lady. So here you are, the far right and the far left and they meet over there in China, saying Mass, all of them, without a priest! Does anyone realize the absurdity of this? It is three-dimensional absurdity.

In the meantime, what about the priests who are trying to take care of everybody? What about the parish priests, and the chaplains, who have the job of bringing the Holy Eucharist to people, bringing the sacraments of Christ to people? What about them? We should think about this.

You know, with all due respect to the clergy of other religions -- and many are very sincere, devout, hard-working and dedicated -- theologically, the priests of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches believe that we have something very unique, and that is that by holy orders, not through any merit of our own, we are able to bring into reality the mystery of the Eucharist, a mystery where Christ is present not only spiritually, but with His Body and Blood. This is a profound mystery. It was a mystery that preoccupied at times the fascinated mind of Albert Einstein, who loved to talk to priests about the Eucharist. It's nothing to be lightly dismissed.

Now, remember, a priest is someone -- as is a bishop -- given this power. Believe me, when I sit down and examine my conscience, and I make a retreat, the voice in my mind is saying, "How dare you do this? How dare you approach the altar of God!" And I do it because this is what I was called to do. And our holy father Saint Francis, as we call him -- Saint Francis, our father -- was not a priest. He was a brother. And he said: "I have such faith in priests that even if they persecuted me I would still have recourse to them, because they alone give us the Body and Blood of Christ." This should make every priest and every bishop humble to the core of his being....

Labels: church, multimedia, podcasts, priesthood, Year for Priests

Digging through my blog archives, I found this post from 2004.

Last night, I had a couple of experiences that caused me to reflect on providence and mercy.

It began as I was walking down Hollywood Boulevard, and saw a homeless man sitting in front of a tourist shop. As I passed by, he called out to me and to another pedestrian, "Hey, could you spare some change... enough change for a kitchen knife, so I can slit my throat?"

A little reversal of sentiment happened in my heart as I heard the second part of his statement. I had already begun fishing for some change, but when I heard him talk about the knife, I immediately decided that a donation might not, in this case, be charity. It might be more like contributing to Planned Parenthood.

I proceeded to board a subway that took me to my parish in the San Fernando Valley, St. Charles Borromeo. I wanted to get there in time to go to confession. I had forgotten that the parish had its annual festival going on this weekend. Confessions are normally heard between 7:30 and 8:30 pm, but when I arrived at the church at 8:10, the doors were locked. A couple of other young adults showed up, and we determined that they must have canceled or rescheduled confessions because of the festival.

Just then, the young associate pastor rounded the corner of the church, heading for the festival in the parking lot. He could see we were hoping to go to confession, so he offered to hear our confessions in the courtyard. There was a line of several people waiting to go to confession after me.

When I left the priest after confession, a young Hispanic man entered the courtyard from the other direction and darted over to the priest. My first thought: one of those people who's willing to confess cutting in front of others in line (isn't that the sin of presumption?). Anyway, I didn't think much of it. I wandered over to the silent auction for a bit and then sat down on the steps of the parish hall to check the voice mail on my cell phone.

While I was checking my voicemail, the same young Hispanic guy came up to me and asked if he could use my cell phone to call his wife. I handed him the phone and he proceeded to place the call.

"Honey, I just got out of jail and I went to the priest for confession. Yeah. How's Esther?" (almost crying) "I know. Okay. Well, I'm gonna try and catch a bus, but where am I going to come up with that kind of money? I don't have anything. I'm just going to trust God."

I felt naturally uncomfortable eavesdropping on this conversation, and then had a jaded Los Angeles moment: He wanted to be within earshot. So one guy tries to get into my wallet by threatening to slit his throat, and this guy is pretending he's making a fresh start. I'm gullible, but even I can see through this one.

The man handed back the cell phone, thanked me, and then walked away toward the festival. After he had gone about ten paces, he returned to me and said, "Hey, do you know where I might find anyone who could get me some money for a bus to Phoenix?"

I thought for a moment. Meanwhile, he said, "The priest said that the offices are closed until Monday. I've been in jail for six months. I have a wife and daughter in Phoenix. I just want to go be with my family. Could you help me? I promise, if you leave me your address, I'll send you the money. I swear."

Suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks. How's Esther?... I have a daughter...

So we went off in search of an ATM together. As we walked the two blocks to the nearest ATM, Reuben gave me more of his story. He was arrested for some gang & drug involvement here in LA, and his wife had moved to Phoenix in the meantime. Every time he talked about his daughter he got very emotional. "She's a year old now, and I haven't seen her for six months." He also told me that this was his first time going to a church and speaking to a priest. "When I got out, I wanted a priest to hear my confession."

Anyway, Reuben let me get him enough money for dinner and his bus fare. "Do you have any kids?" he asked me. No, I replied, and I told him I was thinking about the priesthood. After I said that, he kept calling me "Father." For some reason I didn't correct him. I think he was still dazed from his first experience of confession, in a kind of childlike awe at the mercy of God. I guess I didn't mind, at this particular moment, if he thought I somehow represented the Church as an avenue for that mercy.

It took a lot of courage and a lot of humility for him to approach the priest, and then to approach me, and to tell me - without any reservation and any self-justification - what he had done. Where did he get that kind of confidence, that kind of trust? Somehow I came away feeling that he understood this passage of Scripture far better than I:

Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives; everyone who knocks will have the door opened. Is there anyone among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

Later on, as I lay in bed falling to sleep, I asked myself, where did Reuben learn to trust the Father like that? One thing he said may provide an answer: I have a daughter.

So if you have a moment, say a prayer for Reuben and his wife. Pray for his daughter.

Labels: fatherhood, mercy

In memory of my Dad, I'm posting a link to a few of my favorite photos of him.

Happy Father's Day, Pops.

Labels: fatherhood

In honor of Father's Day this weekend, I'm posting a poem I wrote back in college re: fatherhood. Fathers everywhere, God bless and keep you!

On Fatherhood

Our son
first time in my arms
while Susan sleeps
sweat drying on her forehead.
So tired
she did so well.
He squeezes purple fists
purple veins in
tight fists,
tight,
the size of my thumb.
No sounds
just squirming.
Beautiful.
Let’s sit down
sit down.
Head is resting right, I think.
Looks happy –
I wonder if his eyes will open soon...
Susan’s nose on his face,
her chin too,
chin...
That noise –
the door –
Nurse’s head disappears
behind closing door.
Must’ve been sleeping –
Susan still is.
Wonder when he’ll first open his eyes
and see Dad.
I’m Dad.
Not quite ready –
a baby of a Dad
but so was mine
when I was born.
My Dad will help
he always has
like the time with the wheelbarrow –
I was eight.
Too heavy –
but Dad took one handle,
Dad.
Small fist
hitting my arm.
Don’t sleep now, Dad.
Don’t sleep
I won’t, son
Let’s take a walk in the nursery –
maybe we’ll find the nurse
and ask for some coffee.

Labels: fatherhood, human life, poetry

As the Year for Priests begins, I've been giving some thought about what I might be doing on my blog during this time.

It seems to me that there is a good deal of confusion in the culture -- and even in some quarters of the Church -- about who the priest is, what is the relationship between the ordained priesthood and the priesthood of the baptized, etc. -- so I'll be highlighting books, videos, essays and other resources that I think are helpful in understanding priesthood.

I might also begin a series of short glosses / commentaries on Pastores Dabo Vobis, the apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II. I began a similar project a while ago with Veritatis Splendor, which I plan to return to one day.

Today, I'm recommending the following video produced by the Midwest Theological Forum: The Catholic Priest Today. You can watch it online here.

Labels: church, movies, multimedia, priesthood, vocations, Year for Priests

VATICAN CITY, 18 JUN 2009 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a Letter to the priests of the world for the occasion of the Year for Priests, which has been called to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney.

Tomorrow, Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and day of prayer for the sanctification of the clergy, Benedict XVI will inaugurate this Jubilee Year for Priests during Vespers in the Vatican Basilica.

The Letter has been published in Italian, French, Spanish, English, German, Polish and Portuguese. The complete text of the English language version is given below:

Dear Brother Priests,

On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 - a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy - I have decided to inaugurate a "Year for Priests" in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the "dies natalis" of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide. This Year, meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today's world, will conclude on the same Solemnity in 2010. "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus", the saintly Cure of Ars would often say. This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ's words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity? And how can I not praise the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as "friends of Christ", whom He has called by name, chosen and sent?

I still treasure the memory of the first parish priest at whose side I exercised my ministry as a young priest: he left me an example of unreserved devotion to his pastoral duties, even to meeting death in the act of bringing viaticum to a gravely ill person. I also recall the countless confreres whom I have met and continue to meet, not least in my pastoral visits to different countries: men generously dedicated to the daily exercise of their priestly ministry. Yet the expression of St. John Mary also makes us think of Christ's pierced Heart and the crown of thorns which surrounds it. I am also led to think, therefore, of the countless situations of suffering endured by many priests, either because they themselves share in the manifold human experience of pain or because they encounter misunderstanding from the very persons to whom they minister. How can we not also think of all those priests who are offended in their dignity, obstructed in their mission and persecuted, even at times to offering the supreme testimony of their own blood?

There are also, sad to say, situations which can never be sufficiently deplored where the Church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of her ministers. Then it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection. What is most helpful to the Church in such cases is not only a frank and complete acknowledgement of the weaknesses of her ministers, but also a joyful and renewed realisation of the greatness of God's gift, embodied in the splendid example of generous pastors, religious afire with love for God and for souls, and insightful, patient spiritual guides. Here the teaching and example of St. John Mary Vianney can serve as a significant point of reference for us all. The Cure of Ars was quite humble, yet as a priest he was conscious of being an immense gift to his people: "A good shepherd, a pastor after God's heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy". He spoke of the priesthood as if incapable of fathoming the grandeur of the gift and task entrusted to a human creature: "O, how great is the priest! ... If he realised what he is, he would die. ... God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host". Explaining to his parishioners the importance of the Sacraments, he would say: "Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put Him there in that tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest. And if this soul should happen to die [as a result of sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest. ... After God, the priest is everything! ... Only in heaven will he fully realise what he is". These words, welling up from the priestly heart of the holy pastor, might sound excessive. Yet they reveal the high esteem in which he held the Sacrament of the Priesthood. He seemed overwhelmed by a boundless sense of responsibility: "Were we to fully realise what a priest is on earth, we would die: not of fright, but of love. ... Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption on earth. ... What use would be a house filled with gold, were there no one to open its door? The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods. ... Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest, and they will end by worshipping the beasts there. ... The priest is not a priest for himself, he is a priest for you".

He arrived in Ars, a village of 230 souls, warned by his bishop beforehand that there he would find religious practice in a sorry state: "There is little love of God in that parish; you will be the one to put it there". As a result, he was deeply aware that he needed to go there to embody Christ's presence and to bear witness to His saving mercy: "[Lord,] grant me the conversion of my parish; I am willing to suffer whatever you wish, for my entire life!". With this prayer he entered upon his mission. The Cure devoted himself completely to his parish's conversion, setting before all else the Christian education of the people in his care. Dear brother priests, let us ask the Lord Jesus for the grace to learn for ourselves something of the pastoral plan of St. John Mary Vianney! The first thing we need to learn is the complete identification of the man with his ministry. In Jesus, person and mission tend to coincide: all Christ's saving activity was, and is, an expression of His "filial consciousness" which from all eternity stands before the Father in an attitude of loving submission to His will. In a humble yet genuine way, every priest must aim for a similar identification. Certainly this is not to forget that the efficacy of the ministry is independent of the holiness of the minister; but neither can we overlook the extraordinary fruitfulness of the encounter between the ministry's objective holiness and the subjective holiness of the minister. The Cure of Ars immediately set about this patient and humble task of harmonising his life as a minister with the holiness of the ministry he had received, by deciding to "live", physically, in his parish church: As his first biographer tells us: "Upon his arrival, he chose the church as his home. He entered the church before dawn and did not leave it until after the evening Angelus. There he was to be sought whenever needed".

The pious excess of his devout biographer should not blind us to the fact that the Cure also knew how to "live" actively within the entire territory of his parish: he regularly visited the sick and families, organised popular missions and patronal feasts, collected and managed funds for his charitable and missionary works, embellished and furnished his parish church, cared for the orphans and teachers of the "Providence" (an institute he founded); provided for the education of children; founded confraternities and enlisted lay persons to work at his side.

His example naturally leads me to point out that there are sectors of co-operation which need to be opened ever more fully to the lay faithful. Priests and laity together make up the one priestly people and in virtue of their ministry priests live in the midst of the lay faithful, "that they may lead everyone to the unity of charity, 'loving one another with mutual affection; and outdoing one another in sharing honour'". Here we ought to recall the Vatican Council II's hearty encouragement to priests "to be sincere in their appreciation and promotion of the dignity of the laity and of the special role they have to play in the Church's mission. ... They should be willing to listen to lay people, give brotherly consideration to their wishes, and acknowledge their experience and competence in the different fields of human activity. In this way they will be able together with them to discern the signs of the times".

St. John Mary Vianney taught his parishioners primarily by the witness of his life. It was from his example that they learned to pray, halting frequently before the tabernacle for a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. "One need not say much to pray well" - the Cure explained to them - "We know that Jesus is there in the tabernacle: let us open our hearts to Him, let us rejoice in His sacred presence. That is the best prayer". And he would urge them: "Come to communion, my brothers and sisters, come to Jesus. Come to live from Him in order to live with Him. ... "Of course you are not worthy of him, but you need him!". This way of educating the faithful to the Eucharistic presence and to communion proved most effective when they saw him celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Those present said that "it was not possible to find a finer example of worship. ... He gazed upon the Host with immense love". "All good works, taken together, do not equal the sacrifice of the Mass" - he would say - "since they are human works, while the Holy Mass is the work of God". He was convinced that the fervour of a priest's life depended entirely upon the Mass: "The reason why a priest is lax is that he does not pay attention to the Mass! My God, how we ought to pity a priest who celebrates as if he were engaged in something routine!". He was accustomed, when celebrating, also to offer his own life in sacrifice: "What a good thing it is for a priest each morning to offer himself to God in sacrifice!"

This deep personal identification with the Sacrifice of the Cross led him - by a sole inward movement - from the altar to the confessional. Priests ought never to be resigned to empty confessionals or the apparent indifference of the faithful to this Sacrament. In France, at the time of the Cure of Ars, confession was no more easy or frequent than in our own day, since the upheaval caused by the revolution had long inhibited the practice of religion. Yet he sought in every way, by his preaching and his powers of persuasion, to help his parishioners to rediscover the meaning and beauty of the Sacrament of Penance, presenting it as an inherent demand of the Eucharistic presence. He thus created a "virtuous" circle. By spending long hours in church before the tabernacle, he inspired the faithful to imitate him by coming to visit Jesus with the knowledge that their parish priest would be there, ready to listen and offer forgiveness. Later, the growing numbers of penitents from all over France would keep him in the confessional for up to sixteen hours a day. It was said that Ars had become "a great hospital of souls". His first biographer relates that "the grace he obtained [for the conversion of sinners] was so powerful that it would pursue them, not leaving them a moment of peace!". The saintly Cure reflected something of the same idea when he said: "It is not the sinner who returns to God to beg his forgiveness, but God Himself who runs after the sinner and makes him return to Him". "This good Saviour is so filled with love that He seeks us everywhere".

We priests should feel that the following words, which he put on the lips of Christ, are meant for each of us personally: "I will charge my ministers to proclaim to sinners that I am ever ready to welcome them, that my mercy is infinite". From St. John Mary Vianney we can learn to put our unfailing trust in the Sacrament of Penance, to set it once more at the centre of our pastoral concerns, and to take up the "dialogue of salvation" which it entails. The Cure of Ars dealt with different penitents in different ways. Those who came to his confessional drawn by a deep and humble longing for God's forgiveness found in him the encouragement to plunge into the "flood of divine mercy" which sweeps everything away by its vehemence. If someone was troubled by the thought of his own frailty and inconstancy, and fearful of sinning again, the Cure would unveil the mystery of God's love in these beautiful and touching words: "The good Lord knows everything. Even before you confess, He already knows that you will sin again, yet He still forgives you. How great is the love of our God: He even forces Himself to forget the future, so that He can grant us His forgiveness!". But to those who made a lukewarm and rather indifferent confession of sin, he clearly demonstrated by his own tears of pain how "abominable" this attitude was: "I weep because you don't weep", he would say. "If only the Lord were not so good! But He is so good! One would have to be a brute to treat so good a Father this way!". He awakened repentance in the hearts of the lukewarm by forcing them to see God's own pain at their sins reflected in the face of the priest who was their confessor. To those who, on the other hand, came to him already desirous of and suited to a deeper spiritual life, he flung open the abyss of God's love, explaining the untold beauty of living in union with Him and dwelling in His presence: "Everything in God's sight, everything with God, everything to please God. ... How beautiful it is!". And he taught them to pray: "My God, grant me the grace to love You as much as I possibly can".

In his time the Cure of Ars was able to transform the hearts and the lives of so many people because he enabled them to experience the Lord's merciful love. Our own time urgently needs a similar proclamation and witness to the truth of Love. Thanks to the Word and the Sacraments of Jesus, John Mary Vianney built up his flock, although he often trembled from a conviction of his personal inadequacy, and desired more than once to withdraw from the responsibilities of the parish ministry out of a sense of his unworthiness. Nonetheless, with exemplary obedience he never abandoned his post, consumed as he was by apostolic zeal for the salvation of souls. He sought to remain completely faithful to his own vocation and mission through the practice of an austere asceticism: "The great misfortune for us parish priests - he lamented - is that our souls grow tepid"; meaning by this that a pastor can grow dangerously inured to the state of sin or of indifference in which so many of his flock are living. He himself kept a tight rein on his body, with vigils and fasts, lest it rebel against his priestly soul. Nor did he avoid self-mortification for the good of the souls in his care and as a help to expiating the many sins he heard in confession. To a priestly confrere he explained: "I will tell you my recipe: I give sinners a small penance and the rest I do in their place". Aside from the actual penances which the Cure of Ars practised, the core of his teaching remains valid for each of us: souls have been won at the price of Jesus' own blood, and a priest cannot devote himself to their salvation if he refuses to share personally in the "precious cost" of redemption.

In today's world, as in the troubled times of the Cure of Ars, the lives and activity of priests need to be distinguished by a forceful witness to the Gospel. As Pope Paul VI rightly noted, "modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses". Lest we experience existential emptiness and the effectiveness of our ministry be compromised, we need to ask ourselves ever anew: "Are we truly pervaded by the Word of God? Is that Word truly the nourishment we live by, even more than bread and the things of this world? Do we really know that Word? Do we love it? Are we deeply engaged with this Word to the point that it really leaves a mark on our lives and shapes our thinking?". Just as Jesus called the Twelve to be with Him, and only later sent them forth to preach, so too in our days priests are called to assimilate that "new style of life" which was inaugurated by the Lord Jesus and taken up by the Apostles.

It was complete commitment to this "new style of life" which marked the priestly ministry of the Cure of Ars. Pope John XXIII, in his Encyclical Letter "Sacerdotii nostri primordia", published in 1959 on the first centenary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney, presented his asceticism with special reference to the "three evangelical counsels" which the Pope considered necessary also for priests: "even though priests are not bound to embrace these evangelical counsels by virtue of the clerical state, these counsels nonetheless offer them, as they do all the faithful, the surest road to the desired goal of Christian perfection". The Cure of Ars lived the "evangelical counsels" in a way suited to his priestly state. His poverty was not the poverty of a religious or a monk, but that proper to a priest: while managing much money (since well-to-do pilgrims naturally took an interest in his charitable works), he realised that everything had been donated to his church, his poor, his orphans, the girls of his "Providence", his families of modest means. Consequently, he "was rich in giving to others and very poor for himself". As he would explain: "My secret is simple: give everything away; hold nothing back". When he lacked money, he would say amiably to the poor who knocked at his door: "Today I'm poor just like you, I'm one of you". At the end of his life, he could say with absolute tranquillity: "I no longer have anything. The good Lord can call me whenever he wants!". His chastity, too, was that demanded of a priest for his ministry. It could be said that it was a chastity suited to one who must daily touch the Eucharist, who contemplates it blissfully and with that same bliss offers it to his flock. It was said of him that "he radiated chastity"; the faithful would see this when he turned and gazed at the tabernacle with loving eyes". Finally, Saint John Mary Vianney's obedience found full embodiment in his conscientious fidelity to the daily demands of his ministry. We know how he was tormented by the thought of his inadequacy for parish ministry and by a desire to flee "in order to bewail his poor life, in solitude". Only obedience and a thirst for souls convinced him to remain at his post. As he explained to himself and his flock: "There are no two good ways of serving God. There is only one: serve him as he desires to be served". He considered this the golden rule for a life of obedience: "Do only what can be offered to the good Lord".

In this context of a spirituality nourished by the practice of the evangelical counsels, I would like to invite all priests, during this Year dedicated to them, to welcome the new springtime which the Spirit is now bringing about in the Church, not least through the ecclesial movements and the new communities. "In his gifts the Spirit is multifaceted. ... He breathes where He wills. He does so unexpectedly, in unexpected places, and in ways previously unheard of, ... but he also shows us that He works with a view to the one body and in the unity of the one body". In this regard, the statement of the Decree "Presbyterorum Ordinis" continues to be timely: "While testing the spirits to discover if they be of God, priests must discover with faith, recognise with joy and foster diligently the many and varied charismatic gifts of the laity, whether these be of a humble or more exalted kind". These gifts, which awaken in many people the desire for a deeper spiritual life, can benefit not only the lay faithful but the clergy as well. The communion between ordained and charismatic ministries can provide "a helpful impulse to a renewed commitment by the Church in proclaiming and bearing witness to the Gospel of hope and charity in every corner of the world". I would also like to add, echoing the Apostolic Exhortation "Pastores Dabo Vobis" of Pope John Paul II, that the ordained ministry has a radical "communitarian form" and can be exercised only in the communion of priests with their bishop. This communion between priests and their bishop, grounded in the Sacrament of Holy Orders and made manifest in Eucharistic concelebration, needs to be translated into various concrete expressions of an effective and affective priestly fraternity. Only thus will priests be able to live fully the gift of celibacy and build thriving Christian communities in which the miracles which accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel can be repeated.

The Pauline Year now coming to its close invites us also to look to the Apostle of the Gentiles, who represents a splendid example of a priest entirely devoted to his ministry. "The love of Christ urges us on" - he wrote - "because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died". And he adds: "He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who died and was raised for them". Could a finer programme be proposed to any priest resolved to advance along the path of Christian perfection?

Dear brother priests, the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney (1859) follows upon the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Lourdes (1858). In 1959 Blessed Pope John XXIII noted that "shortly before the Cure of Ars completed his long and admirable life, the Immaculate Virgin appeared in another part of France to an innocent and humble girl, and entrusted to her a message of prayer and penance which continues, even a century later, to yield immense spiritual fruits. The life of this holy priest whose centenary we are commemorating in a real way anticipated the great supernatural truths taught to the seer of Massabielle. He was greatly devoted to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin; in 1836 he had dedicated his parish church to Our Lady Conceived without Sin and he greeted the dogmatic definition of this truth in 1854 with deep faith and great joy". The Cure would always remind his faithful that "after giving us all he could, Jesus Christ wishes in addition to bequeath us His most precious possession, His Blessed Mother".

To the Most Holy Virgin I entrust this Year for Priests. I ask her to awaken in the heart of every priest a generous and renewed commitment to the ideal of complete self-oblation to Christ and the Church which inspired the thoughts and actions of the saintly Cure of Ars. It was his fervent prayer life and his impassioned love of Christ Crucified that enabled John Mary Vianney to grow daily in his total self-oblation to God and the Church. May his example lead all priests to offer that witness of unity with their bishop, with one another and with the lay faithful, which today, as ever, is so necessary. Despite all the evil present in our world, the words which Christ spoke to His Apostles in the Upper Room continue to inspire us: "In the world you have tribulation; but take courage, I have overcome the world". Our faith in the Divine Master gives us the strength to look to the future with confidence. Dear priests, Christ is counting on you. In the footsteps of the Cure of Ars, let yourselves be enthralled by Him. In this way you too will be, for the world in our time, heralds of hope, reconciliation and peace!

Labels: church, events, priesthood, vocations, Year for Priests

On April 25th of this year, Cardinal James Francis Stafford, the recently-retired head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, released a decree announcing that there will be special indulgences available to both priests and the rest of the faithful during the Year for Priests (which begins tomorrow).

Since there are certain indulgences attached to tomorrow's celebrations, I'm dedicating a blog post to the topic today, in the hope that at least some of you will be able to take advantage of this special opportunity.

Here's the introduction to the decree, which provides some context:

During the Year for Priests established by the Holy Father on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney, the gift of special indulgences is granted.

Shortly the day will come on which will be commemorated the 150th anniversary of the pious departure to Heaven of St John Mary Vianney, the Curé d'Ars. This Saint was a wonderful model here on earth of a true Pastor at the service of Christ's flock.

Since his example is used to encourage the faithful, and especially priests, to imitate his virtues, the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI has established that for this occasion a special Year for Priests will be celebrated, from 19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010, in which all priests may be increasingly strengthened in fidelity to Christ with devout meditation, spiritual exercises and other appropriate actions.

This holy period will begin with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a day of priestly sanctification on which the Supreme Pontiff will celebrate Vespers in the presence of the holy relics of St John Mary Vianney, brought to Rome by the Bishop of Belley-Ars, France.

The Most Holy Father will likewise preside at the conclusion of the Year for Priests in St Peter's Square, in the presence of priests from across the world who will renew their fidelity to Christ and the bond of brotherhood.

May priests commit themselves, with prayer and good works, to obtaining from Christ the Eternal High Priest, the grace to shine with Faith, Hope, Charity and the other virtues, and show by their way of life, but also with their external conduct, that they are dedicated without reserve to the spiritual good of the people, something that the Church has always had at heart.

The gift of Sacred Indulgences which the Apostolic Penitentiary, with this Decree issued in conformity with the wishes of the August Pontiff, graciously grants during the Year for Priests will be of great help in achieving the desired purpose in the best possible way.

Before describing the particular requirements for the indulgences, I should acknowledge that there are many people who either are not familiar with the Church's teaching on indulgences, think the Church has abandoned the practice of granting them, or have objections to what they think the Church teaches about them. To all such people, I recommend the following two articles: Indulgences: the treasures of the Catholic Church and Myths about Indulgences. I also cover the topic briefly at the beginning of an RCIA Hollywood podcast on a Catholic vision of the moral life.

The decree continues by spelling out the particulars, which I'll summarize here:

• For priests:
  
  A plenary indulgence is available on any day of this Year for Priests.
  
  The conditions are:
  • praying Morning or Evening Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament (either exposed or reposed);
  • offering themselves with ready and generous hearts to celebrating the sacraments, especially Confession; and
  • observing the normal conditions for an indulgence: being truly repentant for sin; going to confession, participating in the Eucharist, and praying for the Pope's intentions.
  
  A partial indulgence is available to priests "every time that they devoutly recite the prayers duly approved so as to lead a holy life and to carry out in a holy manner the offices entrusted to them."



• For all of the faithful:
  
  A plenary indulgence is available:
  • on the days which open and close the Year for Priests;
  • on the 150th anniversary of the death of St John Vianney (August 4);
  • on the first Thursday of each month; and
  • on any other days established by the local bishop.
  
  The conditions are:
  • attending Mass;
  • offering prayers and good works to Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, on behalf of the Church's priests; and
  • observing the other normal conditions for an indulgence: being truly repentant for sin; going to confession and praying for the Pope's intentions.
  
  On the same days, the elderly, sick, and homebound can obtain the indulgence by:
  • reciting prayers for the sanctification of priests;
  • offering their sufferings to God through Mary, Queen of Apostles; and
  • fulfilling the conditions prescribed for all of the faithful as soon as they are able.
  
  A partial indulgence is available to all the faithful whenever they devoutly recite five Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glorias (or another expressly approved prayer) in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with the intention that priests be preserved in purity and holiness.

During this Year for Priests, may the first sign of our solidarity with the Church -- and with priests, in particular -- be our prayers and offerings to God, along with the witness of a holy life.

Labels: charity, conversion, events, mercy, moral life, prayer, priesthood, suffering, Year for Priests

This just in from the Cardinal Newman Society:

Yesterday the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, which represents more than 200 Catholic institutions, released its summer 2009 newsletter including a report on the ACCU’s board of directors meeting last week.

Here's the text of that report:

ACCU’s Board of Directors met June 11-12 at the University of San Diego. Gratitude was expressed to Dr. Anthony Cernera, president of Sacred Heart University, whose term as ex officio member just concluded.

In response to a request from Bishop Thomas Curry, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, the Board held a lengthy discussion concerning campus speaker policies. This conversation continued a dialogue started by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who informed bishops in 2006 that their document “Catholics in Political Life” warranted further clarification regarding its application to Catholic higher education.

ACCU’s directors informally concluded that it would be desirable for the USCCB to withdraw “Catholics in Political Life” since it was written as a stop-gap statement prior to the 2004 national election. A successor document, if any, should distinguish between “honors” and “platforms” and should acknowledge more clearly the differing roles of campus authorities and bishops. In addition, ACCU’s directors suggested that juridical expressions of bishops’ or universities’ responsibilities should be kept to a minimum, lest they inhibit the “mutual trust, close and consistent collaboration, and continuing dialogue” to which Ex corde Ecclesiae calls Church and university authorities.

The Board asked ACCU staff to draft a document portraying the nature of the student body entering Catholic colleges and the principles which guide Catholic higher education’s mission, programs, and processes. The document will be national in scope and also reflective of considerable differences among institutions. The document’s principal purpose is to shed light on the core educational challenges, opportunities, and contributions of Catholic higher education.

ACCU’s next Annual Meeting will be at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington, DC, January 30 to February 1, 2010.

Commentary from the Cardinal Newman Society here.

John Allen, Jr., interviews Bishop Thomas Curry today:

Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry of Los Angeles, 66, is chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Education, and thus likely to be a key player in discussions about the fallout from the University of Notre Dame’s controversial decision to invite President Barack Obama to deliver the commencement address and to award the president an honorary doctorate. Curry is also a distinguished intellectual with a special interest in church/state relations; he even operates a blog devoted to church/state issues at www.thomascurry.org. He sat down with NCR during the bishops’ spring meeting in San Antonio today to discuss the Notre Dame/Obama case.

Here's a link to Allen's full article: 'No consensus' on follow-up to Notre Dame flap

Labels: bishop, church, communication, communion, education

Each year, on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church invites us to pray for the sanctification of priests.

The solemnity is celebrated on the third Friday after Pentecost and so, this year, we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Friday, June 19.

The celebration takes on a special importance this year because it inaugurates a Year for Priests that was announced by the Pope back in March:

Benedict XVI is proclaiming a Year for Priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, the Curé of Ars.

The Pope announced this today during an audience granted to participants in the plenary assembly of the Congregation for the Clergy, a Vatican communiqué reported.

The theme for the priestly year is "Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests." The Pope is scheduled to open the year with a celebration of vespers June 19, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the presence of the relic of the Curé of Ars, to be brought to Rome by Bishop Guy Bagnard of Belley-Ars, the press release stated.

The closing ceremony will take place exactly one year later, with a World Meeting of Priests in St. Peter's Square.

During this year, a directory for confessors and spiritual directors will be published, along with a compilation of texts by the Pope on the core issues of the life and mission of priests in the modern times. As well, Benedict XVI will officially proclaim St. Jean Marie Vianney as "patron saint of all the priests of the world."

The congregation will aim in this year to promote initiatives that will "highlight the role and mission of the clergy in the Church and in modern society."

Another goal will be to address "the need to intensify the permanent formation of priests, associating it with that of seminarians."

I've dedicated quite a bit of this blog in the past to discussing the priesthood, and the pattern will certainly continue over the next twelve months: it will be the central theme of my blog for the duration of this special year.

Today, I'll simply close with a prayer that the Congregation for Clergy released last year.

Prayer for Priests

Lord Jesus, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament,
and living perpetually among us through Your Priests,
grant that the words of Your Priests may be only Your words,
that their gestures be only Your gestures,
and that their lives be a true reflection of Your life.

Grant that they may be men who speak to God on behalf of His people,
and speak to His people of God.
Grant that they be courageous in service,
serving the Church as she asks to be served.

Grant that they may be men who witness to eternity in our time,
traveling on the paths of history in Your steps,
and doing good for all.

Grant that they may be faithful to their commitments,
zealous in their vocation and mission,
clear mirrors of their own identity,
and living the joy of the gift they have received.

We pray that Your Holy Mother, Mary,
present throughout Your life,
may be ever present in the life of Your Priests. Amen.

(source)

Labels: church, events, pope benedict xvi, prayer, vocations, Year of the Priest

are available here.

Labels: church, Eucharist, events, multimedia, sacraments

It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer,” how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? How often, dear brothers and sisters, have I experienced this, and drawn from it strength, consolation and support!

(from the encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, paragraph 25)

Labels: communion, Eucharist, John Paul II, prayer, sacraments

On Corpus Christi, a trailer from Grassroots Films:



You can order the complete 10-minute film here.

Labels: communion, Eucharist, movies, multimedia, prayer, vocations

When I reached the prison camps of Siberia, I learned to my great joy that it was possible to say Mass daily once again. In every camp, the priests and prisoners would go to great lengths, run risks willingly, just to have the consolation of this sacrament. For those who could not get to Mass, we daily consecrated hosts and arranged for the distribution of Communion to those who wished to receive. Our risk of discovery, of course, was greater in the barracks, because of the lack of privacy and the presence of informers. Most often, therefore, we said our daily Mass somewhere at the work site during the noon break. Despite this added hardship, everyone observed a strict Eucharistic fast from the night before, passing up a chance for breakfast and working all morning on an empty stomach. Yet no one complained. In small groups the prisoners would shuffle into the assigned place, and there the priest would say Mass in his working clothes, unwashed, disheveled, bundled up against the cold. We said Mass in drafty storage shacks, or huddled in mud and slush in the corner of a building site foundation of an underground. The intensity of devotion of both priests and prisoners made up for everything; there were no altars, candles, bells, flowers, music, snow-white linens, stained glass or the warmth that even the simplest parish church could offer. Yet in these primitive conditions, the Mass brought you closer to God than anyone might conceivably imagine. The realization of what was happening on the board, box, or stone used in the place of an altar penetrated deep into the soul. Distractions caused by the fear of discovery, which accompanied each saying of the Mass under such conditions, took nothing away from the effect that the tiny bit of bread and few drops of consecrated wine produced upon the soul.

the priests in the Nazi prison camp of Daucau
fashioned this makeshift monstrance

Many a time, as I folded up the handkerchief on which the body of our Lord had lain, and dried the glass or tin cup used as a chalice, the feeling of having performed something tremendously valuable for the people of this Godless country was overpowering. Just the thought of having celebrated Mass here, in this spot, made my journey to the Soviet Union and the sufferings I endured seem totally worthwhile and necessary. No other inspiration could have deepened my faith more, could have given me spiritual courage in greater abundance, than the privilege of saying Mass for these poorest and most deprived members of Christ the Good Shepherd’s flock. I was occasionally overcome with emotion for a moment as I thought of how he had found a way to follow and to feed these lost and straying sheep in this most desolate land. So I never let a day pass without saying Mass; it was my primary concern each new day. I would go to any length, suffer any inconvenience, run any risk to make the bread of life available to these men.

Fr. Walter J Ciszek, SJ - in He Leadeth Me

Labels: communion, Eucharist, liturgy, paschal mystery, prayer, sacraments, suffering

Archdiocesan Corpus Christi Procession
Sunday, June 14, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Starting at: Little Sisters of the Poor
Ending at: Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul
Sponsored by Millennium Ministries, in cooperation with the
Archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family, and Life.
Cost: FREE (Freewill offering will be taken)

Join the Most Reverend Lee A. Piché (Bishop-elect), the Very Reverend Joseph R. Johnson, and Catholics from throughout the Archdiocese in showing your love for our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at the Archdiocesan Corpus Christi Procession, which will begin in the gardens of the Little Sisters of the Poor Holy Family Residence (whose foundress will be canonized this October). The procession will wind through beautiful Irvine Park, up Kellogg Boulevard and Summit Avenue, to the Cathedral, where we will conclude with a homily and Benediction. An ice cream social on the Cathedral lawn will follow (sponsored by Stephen and Jenni’s Domestic Church).

Park-and-ride: Parking is very scarce near Little Sisters’.

Park in the Cathedral parking lot and use the free shuttles to Little Sisters. Shuttles will run continuously from 1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. (please don’t arrive at the Cathedral before 1:15 p.m., in order to let the noon Mass-goers clear out the parking lot.) There are also one-time early pick-ups at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, St. Rose of Lima, and St. Columba (see more details at www.WalkWithHim.net).

Walk with the Lord this summer!

For more information on this splendid act of devotion and witness, contact Greg Smisek, procession director, by e-mail or at (651) 239-8574.

Labels: church, communion, Eucharist, events, prayer

I received this e-mail from Katie von Schaijik of the Personalist Project today:

There was so much interest in the talks the other night that we decided to hasten the launch of our public forum for discussion.

You'll find there Dr. Healy's reflections on his experience of the event and his impression of the controversy surrounding Christopher West these days. Soon we'll be able to add audio recordings of the lectures, with, hopefully, video to follow.

We think of the forum as an online watering hole for personalists and their friends. We're calling it the Linde, after 2 establishments of that name in Liechtenstein, where we used to drink beer and philosophize between classes.

We hope you'll visit often and add your comments to our discussions!

Labels: communication, dialogue, John Paul II, moral life, theology of the body

On this great feast of Pentecost, I'm simply going to link to a couple of talks given by Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, preacher to the papal household.

Pentecost and the love of God

the grace of Pentecost and loving the Church

Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Labels: charity, communication, communion, conversion, Holy Spirit, moral life

The Catholic Spirit has profiles of the three men to be ordained to the priesthood at 10 am today at the Cathedral of Saint Paul: Deacons Douglas Ebert, Allan Paul Eilen, and Michael Johnson. Click on the images below to read about each of them.

    

Come to our help,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God;
you are the source of every honor and dignity,
of all progress and stability.
You watch over the growing family of man
by your gift of wisdom and your pattern of order.
When you had appointed high priests to rule your people,
you chose other men next to them in rank and dignity
to be with them and to help them in their task;
and so there grew up
the ranks of priests and the office of levites,
established by sacred rites.

In the desert
you extended the spirit of Moses to seventy wise men
who helped him to rule the great company of his people.
You shared among the sons of Aaron
the fullness of their father's power,
to provide worthy priests in sufficient number
for the increasing rites of sacrifice and worship.
With the same loving care
your gave companions to your Son's apostles
to help in teaching the faith;
they preached the Gospel to the whole world.

Lord,
grant also to us such fellow workers,
we are weak and our need greater.

Almighty Father,
grant to these servants of yours
the dignity of the priesthood.
Renew within them the Spirit of holiness.
As co-workers with the order of bishops
may they be faithful to the ministry
that they receive from you, Lord God,
and be to others a model of right conduct.

May they be faithful in working with the order of bishops,
so that the words of the Gospel may reach the ends of the earth,
and the family of nations,
made one in Christ,
may become God's one, holy people.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

source: Ordination Rite, Order of Priest, prayers of consecration

Labels: church, communion, events, Holy Spirit, liturgy, prayer, priesthood, vocations

Last evening, Catholic University of America (CUA) held a discussion entitled "The Obama Administration and the Sanctity of Human Life: Is There a Common Ground on Life Issues? What is the Right Response by 'Pro-Life' Citizens?" The discussion, featuring Professor Robert George and Professor Doug Kmiec, and moderated by the Honorable Mary Ann Glendon, was held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. (A complete description of the event may be found here.)


I've transcribed the introduction by Professor William Wagner to give you a sense of the nature and format of the discussion:

Good afternoon.

I'm Professor William Wagner, the director of Catholic University's Center for Law, Philosophy and Culture. It's my pleasure to welcome you here today to a public exchange of views on the topic of The Obama Administration and the Sanctity of Human Life: Is There a Common Ground on Life Issues? What is the Right Response by Pro-Life Citizens? Today's event features presentations and discussions by two leading scholars and political commentators, both Roman Catholics, and both members of the pro-life community, presenting two different perspectives on the current administration's policies regarding such issues as abortion and embryonic stem cell research, and their impact on societal attitudes regarding respect for human life.

The purpose of the event is to advance understanding within the pro-life intellectual community in the United States of the issues, of what potential for common ground exists with the Obama administration on life issues, and what, in any event, is the right response of the pro-life community to the new administration.

The coverage in the press of issues relating to Obama's recent appearance at Notre Dame University indicates that discourse within the Catholic and pro-life communities on this question is of general interest to members of the American public. We are very pleased that members of our audience today represent not just the pro-life community, but other communities of discourse within the United States as well. These members of our audience are most cordially welcome.

We hope that the exchange of views we will hear today will be of value not just to members of the pro-life community, but to all members of the American public, regardless of their view on these issues.

You will note that today's event is billed as a discussion and not a debate. For it is not a debate. It is intended to present for the audience's consideration a fuller presentation of views on both sides of the question to be compared and considered within the largest possible lens. The tenor of our event is much in accord with the challenge posed by the nation's president while he was at Notre Dame. I quote him: "The question, then, is how do we work through these conflicts? Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort as citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy? How do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles and fight for what we consider right without demonizing those with just as strongly-held convictions on the other side?"

The Catholic University's Center for Law, Philosophy and Culture -- the sponsor of today's event -- exists to promote inquiry into the role of law in relation to culture and culture's orientation to the human good. The scope of its inquiry is both theoretical and practical. In its theoretical aspect, the Center aims to contribute to the academic fields of jurisprudence and the philosophy of law, as well as to Christian political and social ethics. In the practical dimension, it seeks to foster renewal and transformation of culture under contemporary circumstances through law and law reform.

In the President's remarks just mentioned, he concluded by calling for open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words. This is good. In the present setting, under the sponsorship of our Center, we would want, however, to clarify and make explicit what the President certainly meant to leave as implicit: What do we leave our hearts and minds open to, in particular? So as we convene this discussion today, let us leave our minds open to the truth, and our hearts open to love for one another in the light of our Creator's love for all of us.

I will now shortly turn the floor over to our able moderator, the Honorable Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and former United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Before I do, allow me to say just a word about our format. Professor Glendon will speak for several minutes, not just to introduce our speakers, but further to introduce our topic. Then she will keep time as each speaker presents in turn. Each speaker will come to the podium to give a twenty minute presentation of his basic viewpoint. Thereafter... the moderator and the two speakers will sit before us and Professor Glendon will pose questions to the speakers. She will then also read questions from the audience for the speakers to consider in turn. Monitors are prepared to pass out note cards to the audience. You're invited to write down questions as they occur to you and pass them to the outside of your aisles, to be assembled to be given to Professor Glendon. And then each speaker will have a brief time for closing comments.

Professor Glendon...

Professor George's opening remarks are now posted on the Public Discourse website here. A snip:

The common ground I am interested in is with pro-life Americans who, like Professor Kmiec, have supported the President politically. The election is over, and the current question is not who anyone thinks will do the best job as President, or even whether one may legitimately support candidates who deny the fundamental dignity and right to life of unborn human beings and who promise to protect and extend the abortion license and expand the funding of embryo-destructive research. The question is: On which issues will we support the President’s direction, and on which will we challenge him because he is heading in the wrong direction? Those pro-life Americans who voted for him and support him should not object when we speak for the most vulnerable and defenseless of our fellow human beings, even when that means severely criticizing the President’s policies. They should stand with us on common ground, and join their voices with ours.

You can watch the streaming video of the entire event on CUA website here.

If you simply want to listen to the audio, I've created an MP3 audio podcast available on my podcast feed, or directly here.

Additional resources:
Dawn Eden was there and files this report about Kmiec's answer to a question she had submitted.

Labels: church, communication, conscience, dialogue, human life, moral life, multimedia, podcasts, politics

An excerpt of the coverage in The Catholic Spirit:

Miguel Diaz, Ph.D., who serves on the graduate faculty of the School of Theology∙Seminary of Saint John’s University and undergraduate faculty of the Department of Theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, has been nominated as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican).

President Barack Obama made the announcement on May 27, 2009.

Catholic News Service story here.

The curriculum vitae of Dr. Diaz is available here.

The Associated Press story notes:

One potential point of conflict is Diaz's support for the nomination of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic whose abortion rights record angered conservative Catholics. Diaz was among 26 Catholic leaders and scholars who signed a statement hailing Sebelius as "a woman of deep faith" and citing her a record on immigration, education, health care and reducing abortion rates in Kansas....

Diaz was far from the most visible — or controversial — Catholic to campaign for Obama. Douglas Kmiec, a Catholic law professor and former Reagan administration lawyer, was targeted by conservative Catholics and denied Communion by one priest for his support for Obama.

Kmiec, who was mentioned as a possible Vatican envoy, applauded the choice of Diaz on Wednesday, calling him "a gifted theologian and a natural teacher. And his love for the faith is unquestioned"....

The advocacy groups Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good issued statements Wednesday night praising the choice of Diaz.

I have never heard of Dr. Diaz before today. But if you can learn something about a man by those who praise him, this nomination looks like more of the same from the Obama administration.

In other news, former US ambassador to the Vatican, Mary Ann Glendon, will be giving a keynote later today for a symposium at Catholic University, as well as moderating a debate between Doug Kmiec and Robert George in the evening. See the American Papist for the details.

Labels: church, politics

VATICAN CITY, 27 MAY 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Lee Anthony Piché of the clergy of the archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, U.S.A., pastor of St. Andrew's church, vicar general and moderator of the Curia, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 17,225, population 3,082,000, Catholics 852,000, priests 484, permanent deacons 217, religious 1,142). The bishop-elect was born in Minneapolis in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1984.

Congratulations to bishop-elect Piché!

The Catholic Spirit has more details here.

An article about Father Piché appeared in the University of Saint Thomas' alumni magazine this past winter.

I wondered if there might be a new bishop in the works early this morning -- several Google searches hitting my website from Italy with "Fr. Lee Piche" as the search term. I only have one post referencing him, from last May.

Labels: bishop, church, priesthood

Lots of birthdays today. I turn 39, my nephew Tucker turns 6... and it's also the birthday of some of my other favorite people, including Monika Moreno, director of the Angelus Awards Student Film Festival, and Fr. Bill Baer, rector of St. John Vianney college seminary.

Birthdays are a good time to stop and express thanks... for the gift of life, for the second birth, for all that life has offered so far, and for all that lies ahead.

Years wrinkle the skin -- but to give up wonder wrinkles the soul.
Reginald Stewart

Labels: human life

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican is launching iPhone and Facebook applications in an effort to help Catholics, especially younger generations, use new technologies to create a culture of dialogue, respect and friendship.

The new applications are part of a brand new Vatican Web site -- www.Pope2You.net -- that was to go live on World Communications Day, which will be celebrated May 24 in most dioceses. (source)

Labels: communication, pope benedict xvi, social networking, technology

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER
BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 43rd WORLD DAY OF COMMUNICATIONS

"New Technologies, New Relationships.
Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship."

May 24, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

In anticipation of the forthcoming World Communications Day, I would like to address to you some reflections on the theme chosen for this year - New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship. The new digital technologies are, indeed, bringing about fundamental shifts in patterns of communication and human relationships. These changes are particularly evident among those young people who have grown up with the new technologies and are at home in a digital world that often seems quite foreign to those of us who, as adults, have had to learn to understand and appreciate the opportunities it has to offer for communications. In this year’s message, I am conscious of those who constitute the so-called digital generation and I would like to share with them, in particular, some ideas concerning the extraordinary potential of the new technologies, if they are used to promote human understanding and solidarity. These technologies are truly a gift to humanity and we must endeavor to ensure that the benefits they offer are put at the service of all human individuals and communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged and vulnerable.

The accessibility of mobile telephones and computers, combined with the global reach and penetration of the internet, has opened up a range of means of communication that permit the almost instantaneous communication of words and images across enormous distances and to some of the most isolated corners of the world; something that would have been unthinkable for previous generations. Young people, in particular, have grasped the enormous capacity of the new media to foster connectedness, communication and understanding between individuals and communities, and they are turning to them as means of communicating with existing friends, of meeting new friends, of forming communities and networks, of seeking information and news, and of sharing their ideas and opinions. Many benefits flow from this new culture of communication: families are able to maintain contact across great distances; students and researchers have more immediate and easier access to documents, sources and scientific discoveries, hence they can work collaboratively from different locations; moreover, the interactive nature of many of the new media facilitates more dynamic forms of learning and communication, thereby contributing to social progress.

While the speed with which the new technologies have evolved in terms of their efficiency and reliability is rightly a source of wonder, their popularity with users should not surprise us, as they respond to a fundamental desire of people to communicate and to relate to each other. This desire for communication and friendship is rooted in our very nature as human beings and cannot be adequately understood as a response to technical innovations. In the light of the biblical message, it should be seen primarily as a reflection of our participation in the communicative and unifying Love of God, who desires to make of all humanity one family. When we find ourselves drawn towards other people, when we want to know more about them and make ourselves known to them, we are responding to God’s call - a call that is imprinted in our nature as beings created in the image and likeness of God, the God of communication and communion.

The desire for connectedness and the instinct for communication that are so obvious in contemporary culture are best understood as modern manifestations of the basic and enduring propensity of humans to reach beyond themselves and to seek communion with others. In reality, when we open ourselves to others, we are fulfilling our deepest need and becoming more fully human. Loving is, in fact, what we are designed for by our Creator. Naturally, I am not talking about fleeting, shallow relationships, I am talking about the real love that is at the very heart of Jesus’ moral teaching: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" and "You must love your neighbor as yourself" (cf. Mk 12:30-31). In this light, reflecting on the significance of the new technologies, it is important to focus not just on their undoubted capacity to foster contact between people, but on the quality of the content that is put into circulation using these means. I would encourage all people of good will who are active in the emerging environment of digital communication to commit themselves to promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.

Those who are active in the production and dissemination of new media content, therefore, should strive to respect the dignity and worth of the human person. If the new technologies are to serve the good of individuals and of society, all users will avoid the sharing of words and images that are degrading of human beings, that promote hatred and intolerance, that debase the goodness and intimacy of human sexuality or that exploit the weak and vulnerable.

The new technologies have also opened the way for dialogue between people from different countries, cultures and religions. The new digital arena, the so-called cyberspace, allows them to encounter and to know each other’s traditions and values. Such encounters, if they are to be fruitful, require honest and appropriate forms of expression together with attentive and respectful listening. The dialogue must be rooted in a genuine and mutual searching for truth if it is to realize its potential to promote growth in understanding and tolerance. Life is not just a succession of events or experiences: it is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this - in truth, in goodness, and in beauty - that we find happiness and joy. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by those who see us merely as consumers in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.

The concept of friendship has enjoyed a renewed prominence in the vocabulary of the new digital social networks that have emerged in the last few years. The concept is one of the noblest achievements of human culture. It is in and through our friendships that we grow and develop as humans. For this reason, true friendship has always been seen as one of the greatest goods any human person can experience. We should be careful, therefore, never to trivialize the concept or the experience of friendship. It would be sad if our desire to sustain and develop on-line friendships were to be at the cost of our availability to engage with our families, our neighbors and those we meet in the daily reality of our places of work, education and recreation. If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development.

Friendship is a great human good, but it would be emptied of its ultimate value if it were to be understood as an end in itself. Friends should support and encourage each other in developing their gifts and talents and in putting them at the service of the human community. In this context, it is gratifying to note the emergence of new digital networks that seek to promote human solidarity, peace and justice, human rights and respect for human life and the good of creation. These networks can facilitate forms of co-operation between people from different geographical and cultural contexts that enable them to deepen their common humanity and their sense of shared responsibility for the good of all. We must, therefore, strive to ensure that the digital world, where such networks can be established, is a world that is truly open to all. It would be a tragedy for the future of humanity if the new instruments of communication, which permit the sharing of knowledge and information in a more rapid and effective manner, were not made accessible to those who are already economically and socially marginalized, or if it should contribute only to increasing the gap separating the poor from the new networks that are developing at the service of human socialization and information.

I would like to conclude this message by addressing myself, in particular, to young Catholic believers: to encourage them to bring the witness of their faith to the digital world. Dear Brothers and Sisters, I ask you to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communications and information technology the values on which you have built your lives. In the early life of the Church, the great Apostles and their disciples brought the Good News of Jesus to the Greek and Roman world. Just as, at that time, a fruitful evangelization required that careful attention be given to understanding the culture and customs of those pagan peoples so that the truth of the gospel would touch their hearts and minds, so also today, the proclamation of Christ in the world of new technologies requires a profound knowledge of this world if the technologies are to serve our mission adequately. It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this "digital continent." Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm. You know their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments: the greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the "Good News" of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people. Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Our faith can respond to these expectations: may you become its heralds! The Pope accompanies you with his prayers and his blessing.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2009, Feast of Saint Francis de Sales.

BENEDICTUS XVI

Labels: church, communication, communion, pope benedict xvi, social networking, technology

Father Robert Barron of Word on Fire has written a thoughtful article on dialogue, in wake of the speeches given at Notre Dame's commencement cermonies last Sunday. A snip:

It comes down to that slippery little word “dialogue.” I realize that to say that one is against dialogue is akin to saying that one is impatient with motherhood, patriotism, and sunny days. But the point is this: one should, in certain circumstances, be suspicious of dialogue. The great Canadian Jesuit philosopher Bernard Lonergan laid out the four basic moves that characterize the action of a healthy mind.....

He goes on to describe these four characteristics:

1. Attentive: Has to be able to absorb the data / facts of a situation


2. Intelligent: Needs to discern patterns of meaning


3. Reasonable: Must be capable of reasoning in order to form proper judgments vis-a-vis truth claims


4. Responsible: Must accept responsibility for the way the judgments formed will affect one's life and behavior

Father Barron then critiques the way Father Jenkins and President Obama used the concept of dialogue:

What I sensed in both Jenkins’s and Obama’s speeches was a sort of fetishism of dialogue.... The conversation, they seemed to imply, should remain always open-ended, the dialogue on-going, decision or judgment permanently delayed. But dialogue is a means to an end; it is valuable in the measure that it conduces toward judgment. G.K. Chesterton said that the mind should remain open, but only so that it might, in time, chomp down on something nourishing.

Read the whole article here.

Labels: communication, dialogue, moral life, relativism

If you want to pray a novena leading up to the feast of Pentecost, today is the day to begin. Below, you'll find a PDF version of the novena as well as one you can download to your calendar program.

The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian. (source)

I've created a calendar file (.ics file) which you can download and install into many popular calendar programs. Download the file and then double-click it to install the file in your calendar program. Once the calendar has been installed, you will get a daily reminder on your computer and/or mobile device at 8:00 am each day between now and May 30. When you open the appointment, you'll find the complete prayers for the day in the note section.

Download the calendar file here: pentecost_novena_2009.ics

Or, if you prefer, download a PDF document containing all of the prayers.

Labels: Holy Spirit, prayer, technology

The Personalist Project is hosting a lecture by Dr. Michael Healy, with a response by Christopher West, on June 3 in West Chester, PA.

Both speakers will consider the true nature of sexuality as essentially deep and intimate and in relation to betrothed love. Sex is not just another instinct or appetite, but unique in its vocation toward the expression of something higher. Von Hildebrand’s Purity, the Mystery of Christian Sexuality (on which Dr. Healy’s lecture is based), written in the 1920’s, anticipates many of the insights of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

More details here.

Labels: events, marriage and family, moral life, theology of the body

Over at Via Media, Amy's started a discussion about dialogue.

1) Who are the parties in the dialogue?

2) Where is this dialogue situated?

Should be an interesting conversation.

To take things a step further, what are the necessary ingredients/principles in dialogue? What does dialogue look like in practice? I've made some efforts in the past to grapple with the concept of dialogue on my blog.

I know the term has been seriously sullied by the recent Notre Dame debacle, but it would be good to recover a positive sense of the term. It's one of the three keynotes of Pope Benedict XVI's message for World Communications Day 2009, which is coming up on Sunday.

I think there are probably several situations/contexts in which the abortion dialogue needs to take place -- maybe several dialogues, even. One of the most important, I think, is the actual experience of the woman in a crisis pregnancy.

I highly recommend an article entitled Abortion: A Failure to Communicate by Paul Swope. It appeared in First Things back in 2002. A snip:

Research suggests that modern American women of childbearing age do not view the abortion issue within the same moral framework as those of us who are pro-life activists. Our message is not being well-received by this audience because we have made the error of assuming that women, especially those facing the trauma of an unplanned pregnancy, will respond to principles we see as self-evident within our own moral framework, and we have presented our arguments accordingly. This is a miscalculation that has fatally handicapped the pro-life cause. While we may not agree with how women currently evaluate this issue, the importance of our mission and the imperative to be effective demand that we listen, that we understand, and that we respond to the actual concerns of women who are most likely to choose abortion.

One consideration left out of this article is the woman's relationship with the child's father. It's especially significant, I think, in a culture already facing an epidemic of fatherlessness. When a woman faces a crisis pregnancy, how is her decision conditioned by the attitudes of the man... particularly if she grew up with a father who was physically or emotionally unavailable? Does she see herself faced, oftentimes, with a decision between keeping her child and keeping a relationship? Pretty gut-wrenching for someone who already has fears and wounds around the issue of male support and availability.

Labels: communication, dialogue, human life

Congratulations to the people at CatholicVote.org. I received this message from them this afternoon:

Dear CatholicVote.org Member,

We are pleased to announce that our latest commercial – Imagine Spot 2 – will begin airing tonight on the American Idol finale. We have secured ad space in select markets in six states, beginning tonight in Baltimore.

Our ad will also be running tomorrow night during the second night of the finale in select markets in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada and Florida.

If you contributed to this campaign – thank you! Your contributions truly helped make this happen.

If you still want to help, it's not too late! Donate now.

In a news release issued to the press this afternoon, we made this simple point: “We hope that by highlighting the common thread between people like Babe Ruth, John Lennon and Faith Hill that Americans will reflect on the enormous gift of every human life. Our ad aims to set aside our political differences, musical tastes, or celebrity fashions, and remind our fellow Americans that every life matters – that every life is beautiful.”

Here in Chicago spring is well underway. The tulips planted last fall are in full bloom, and the seeds put in the ground only weeks ago are already sprouting. It’s fun to imagine our latest ad as a package of seeds spread across our great nation. Every time it is viewed, we pray that its message will take root.

We don’t expect to wake up on Thursday and see a different country. But what we do know is that millions of Americans will see our message of hope this week – a message that cuts across the political and cultural boundaries that too often limit our ability to tell the world what it truly means to be PRO-LIFE.

We pray our efforts contribute in some way to what the late Pope John Paul the Great called a new “springtime of faith.”

Looking around us, especially in D.C. (or even South Bend!) may be discouraging. But we remind you once again of the hope that all of us share. As a well-known Catholic writer wrote several years ago, “God isn’t dead. He’s not even tired.”

And neither are we.

Sincerely,

Brian, Josh, Kara, Pat and the CatholicVote.org Team

Labels: human life, multimedia

So the ND commencement has come and gone; the analysis of the speeches has begun.

The text of President Obama's speech was posted online, but I also audio recorded the speech so I could compare the prepared text with what he actually said. He didn't stray far from the text, but there were some interesting variations. And you could also get a sense of the responses -- shouts, applause, laughter, etc. -- by listening to the audio.

You can download the audio of the speech as an MP3 file here.

What I've done below is post the text of the speech. Any additions made by the President during his delivery are shown in bold. Any deletions are showing in strikethrough.

A significant section of the speech -- the part about the e-mail he received, all the way through the prayer he said at night -- is pretty similar to what he said in his 2006 Call To Renewal Keynote Address, which I've already analyzed in detail here. I did this back in March, figuring that the ND speech would be similar in nature. Very similar indeed.

It is, to a large extent, a sermon on the value of listening to each other and disagreeing in a civil manner. No objections to that whatsoever. But the suggestion that it is okay to disagree about essential matters, and that as long as it is done without rancor, it will not be problematic, is incredibly naive, I think. It's a well-packaged recipe for relativism... and I don't know how you keep a country going without agreeing on matters that are essential to the common good. Not a faith issue at all... no mystical experiences required. No prerequisites in struggling through the dark night of the soul. Is it a child, or isn't it? That's not a question that requires a creed to answer with firmness or certitude.

Thank you, Father Jenkins for that extraordinary generous introduction. You are doing an extraordinary outstanding job as president of this extraordinary fine institution, and your continued and courageous and contagious commitment to honest, thoughtful dialogue is an inspiration to us all.

Good afternoon Father Hesburgh, Notre Dame trustees, faculty, family, friends, and the class of 2009. I am honored to be here today, and grateful to all of you for allowing me to be part of your graduation.

I want to thank you for this honorary degree that I received. I know it has not been without controversy. I don't know if you're aware of this, but these honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by. So far I'm only 1 for 2 as President. (MASSIVE EXTENDED APPLAUSE). Father Hesburgh is 150 for 150. I guess that's better. Father Ted, after the ceremony, maybe you can give me some pointers on how to boost my average.

I also want to congratulate the class of 2009 for all your accomplishments. (SOME IN THE CROWD BEGINS SHOUTING SOMETHING). And since this is Notre Dame, I mean... That's alright... and since... (STUDENTS BEGIN CHANTING SOMETHING -- "WE ARE ND" ?) We're fine, everybody. We're following Brennan's adage that we don't do things easily. We're not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes. (APPLAUSE). Since this is Notre Dame, we should talk about your accomplishments not only both in the classroom but also and in the competitive arena. (LAUGHTER) No, don't worry, I'm not goint to talk about... that (LAUGHTER) We all know about this university's proud and storied football team, but I also hear that Notre Dame holds the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world (CHEERS) -- Bookstore Basketball.

Now this excites me. I want to congratulate the winners of this year's tournament, a team by the name of "Hallelujah Holla Back." Congratulations. Well done. Though I have to say, I am personally disappointed that the "Barack O'Ballers" didn't pull it out. Next year, if you need a 6'2" forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live.

Every one of you should be proud of what you have achieved at this institution. One hundred and sixty three classes of Notre Dame graduates have sat where you are sit today. Some were here during years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare -- periods of relative peace and prosperity that required little by way of sacrifice or struggle.

You, however, are not getting off that easy. You have a different deal Your class has come of age at a moment of great consequence for our nation and the world -- a rare inflection point in history where the size and scope of the challenges before us require that we remake our world to renew its promise; that we align our deepest values and commitments to the demands of a new age. It is a privilege and a responsibility afforded to few generations - and a task that you are now called to fulfill.

This is the generation that- your generation - that must find a path back to prosperity and decide how we respond to a global economy that left millions behind even before this crisis hit - an economy where greed and short-term thinking were too often rewarded at the expense of fairness, and diligence, and an honest day's work.

Your generation We must decide how to save God's creation from a changing climate that threatens to destroy it. Your generation (MORE SHOUTING FROM SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE. THE PRESIDENT SIMPLY SPOKE MORE LOUDLY, OVER THE NOISE, FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS PARAGRAPH) We must seek peace at a time when there are those who will stop at nothing to do us harm, and when weapons in the hands of a few can destroy the many. And we must find a way to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity -- diversity of thought, of culture, and of belief.

In short, we must find a way to live together as one human family. (BIG APPLAUSE)

It is this last challenge that I'd like to talk about today. Despite the fact that Father John stole all my best lines. For the major threats we face in the 21st century -- whether it's global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease - These things do not discriminate. They do not recognize borders. They do not see color. They do not target specific ethnic groups.

Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and greater understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history.

Unfortunately, finding that common ground -- recognizing that our fates are tied up, as Dr. King said, in a "single garment of destiny" - is not easy. Part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man - our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin. We too often seek advantage over others. We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar. Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game. The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice. And so, for all our technology technological and scientific advances, we see around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times.

We know these things; and hopefully one of the benefits of the wonderful education you have received at Notre Dame is that you have had time to consider these wrongs in the world, perhaps recognized impulses in yourself that you want to leave behind and grown determined, each in your own way, to right them. And yet, one of the vexing things for those of us interested in promoting greater understanding and cooperation among people is the discovery that even bringing together persons of good will, bringing together men and women of principle and purpose, even accomplishing that can be difficult.

The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm. The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the cultural divide that might unite their efforts. Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son's or daughter's hardships might can be relieved. (BIG APPLAUSE)

The question, then, is how do we work through these conflicts? Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort? As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without -- as Father John said -- demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?

And of course nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.

As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign, one that I describe in a book I wrote called The Audacity of Hope. A few days after I won the Democratic nomination, I received an email from a doctor who told me that while he voted for me in the Illinois primary, he had a serious concern that might prevent him from voting for me in the general election. He described himself as a Christian who was strongly pro-life, but that's WAS not what was preventing him potentially from voting for me.

What bothered the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my website - an entry that said I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." The doctor said that he had assumed I was a reasonable person, he supported my policy initiatves to help the poor and to life up our educational system but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable. He wrote, "I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words."

Fair-minded words.

After I read the doctor's letter, I wrote back to him and I thanked him. I didn't change my position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my website. And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me. Because when we do that - when we open UP our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe do -- that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.

That's when we begin to say, "Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually to make, with. It has both moral and spiritual dimensions.

So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let's reduce by reducing unintended pregnancies. Let's make , and making adoption more available. Let's provide , and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term. Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science but also in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women." Those are things we can do. (APPLAUSE)

Understand - class of 2009 -- understand I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.

Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words.

It's a way of life that has always been the Notre Dame tradition. (APPLAUSE) Father Hesburgh has long spoken of this institution as both a lighthouse and a crossroads. A The lighthouse that stands apart, shining with the wisdom of the Catholic tradition, while the crossroads is where "...differences of culture and religion and conviction can co-exist with friendship, civility, hospitality, and especially love." And I want to join him and Father JOHN Jenkins in saying how inspired I am by the maturity and responsibility with which this class has approached the debate surrounding today's ceremony. You are an exemplar of what Notre Dame's about. (BIG APPLAUSE)

This tradition of cooperation and understanding is one that I learned in my own life many years ago - also with the help of the Catholic Church.

You see I was not raised in a particularly religious household, but my mother instilled in me a sense of service and empathy that eventually led me to become a community organizer after I graduated college. And a group of Catholic churches in Chicago helped fund an organization known as the Developing Communities Project, and we worked to lift up South Side neighborhoods that had been devastated when the local steel plant closed.

And it was quite an eclectic crew. Catholic and Protestant churches. Jewish and African-American organizers. Working-class black, and white and Hispanic residents. All of us with different experiences. All of us with different beliefs. But all of us learned to work side by side because all of us saw in these neighborhoods other human beings who needed our help - to find jobs and improve schools. We were bound together in the service of others.

And something else happened during the time I spent in THESE those neighborhoods. Perhaps because the church folks I worked with were so welcoming and understanding; perhaps because they invited me to their services and sang with me from their hymnals; perhaps because I was really broke and they fed me; perhaps because I witnessed all of the good works their faith inspired them to perform, I found myself drawn -- not just to THE work with the church, but to be in the church. It was through this service that I was brought to Christ.

And at the time, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was the Archbishop of Chicago. (APPLAUSE) For those of you too young to have known him, or know of him, he was a kind and good and wise man. A saintly man. I can still remember him speaking at one of the first organizing meetings I attended on the South Side. He stood as both a lighthouse and a crossroads -- unafraid to speak his mind on moral issues ranging from poverty, and AIDS, and abortion to the death penalty and nuclear war. And yet, he was congenial and gentle in his persuasion, always trying to bring people together; always trying to find common ground. Just before he died, a reporter asked Cardinal Bernardin about this approach to his ministry. And he said, "You can't really get on with preaching the Gospel until you've touched hearts and minds minds and hearts."

My heart and mind were touched by him. They were touched by the words and deeds of the men and women I worked alongside in parishes across with in Chicago. And I'd like to think that we touched the hearts and minds of the neighborhood families whose lives we helped change. For this, I believe, is our highest calling.

Noe you , class of 2009, are about to enter the next phase of your life at a time of great uncertainty. You will be called upon to help restore a free market that is also fair to all who are willing to work; You'll be called to seek new sources of energy that can save our planet; to give future generations the same chance that you had to receive an extraordinary education. And whether as a person drawn to public service, or simply someone who simply insists on being an active citizen, you will be exposed to more opinions and ideas broadcast through more means of communications than have ever existed before. You will hear talking heads scream on cable, and you'll read blogs that claim definitive knowledge, and you will watch politicians pretend to know what they're talking about. (LAUGHTER) Occasionally, you may also have the great fortune of seeing important issues debated by people who do know what they're talking about... by well-intentioned, with brilliant minds and mastery of the facts. In fact, I suspect that many of you will be among those brightest stars.

And in this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you've been raised and educated. Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake. Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. In other words stand as a lighthouse.

But remember too that you can be a crossroads. Remember too that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt. It is the belief in things not seen. It is beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us, and those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.

This doubt should not push us away from our faith. But it should humble us. It should temper our passions, and cause us to be wary of too much self-righteousness. It should compel us to remain open, and curious, and eager to continue the moral and spiritual debate that began for so many of you within the walls of Notre Dame. And within our vast democracy, this doubt should remind us even as we cling to our faith to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works, and charity, and kindness, and service that moves hearts and minds.

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. The call to serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.

So many of you at Notre Dame - by the last count, upwards of 80% -- have lived this law of love through the service you've performed at schools and hospitals; international relief agencies and local charities. Brennan is just one example of what your class has accomplished. That is incredibly impressive, and a powerful testament to this institution. And now (APPLAUSE) ... now you must carry the tradition forward. Make it a way of life. Because when you serve, it doesn't just improve your community, it makes you a part of your community. It breaks down walls. It fosters cooperation. And when that happens -- when people set aside their differences even for a moment to work in common effort toward a common good; when they struggle together, and sacrifice together, and learn from one another -- all things are possible.

After all, I stand here today, as President and as an African-American, on the 55th anniversary of the day that the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Brown v. the Board of Education. Brown was of course the first major step in dismantling the "separate but equal" doctrine, but it would take a number of years and a nationwide movement to fully realize the dream of civil rights for all of God's children. There were freedom rides and lunch counters and Billy clubs, and there was also a Civil Rights Commission appointed by President Eisenhower. It was the twelve resolutions recommended by this commission that would ultimately become law in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

There were six members of the this commission. It included five whites and one African-American; Democrats and Republicans; two Southern governors, the dean of a Southern law school, a Midwestern university president, and your own Father Ted Hesburgh, President of Notre Dame. (APPLAUSE) They worked for two years, and at times, President Eisenhower had to intervene personally since no hotel or restaurant in the South would serve the black and white members of the commission together. And finally, when they reached an impasse in Louisiana, Father Ted flew them all to Notre Dame's retreat in Land O'Lakes, Wisconsin, where they eventually overcame their differences and hammered out a final deal.

And years later, President Eisenhower asked Father Ted how on Earth he was able to broker an agreement between men of such different backgrounds and beliefs. And Father Ted simply said that during their first dinner in Wisconsin, they discovered that they were all fishermen. And so he quickly readied a boat for a twilight trip out on the lake. They fished, and they talked, and they changed the course of history.

I will not pretend that the challenges we face will be easy, or that the answers will come quickly, or that all our differences and divisions will fade happily away. Because life is not that simple. It never has been.

But as you leave here today, remember the lessons of Cardinal Bernardin, of Father Hesburgh, of movements for change both large and small. Remember that each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we all seek the same love of family and the same fulfillment of a life well-lived. Remember that in the end, in some way, we are all fishermen.

If nothing else, that knowledge should give us faith that through our collective labor, and God's providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other's burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that more perfect union. Congratulations class of 2009 on your graduation, may God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Labels: communication, human life, moral life, politics, relativism

On May 18, 1920, Karol Wojtyla was born.

In remembrance of his birthday, and in honor of his memory, I thought I'd share the story of the time I got to meet the Pope. Here's a picture from the moment.



En route to a semester of seminary studies in Jerusalem back in 1996, I spent a week in Rome, and had the chance to see the Pope John Paul II twice... once at a Wednesday audience, and once at a Sunday Mass celebrated at Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence.

Meeting the Pope was without question one of the happiest moments of my life. He is the kindest, warmest person I have ever met, to say nothing of his intelligence, virtue and holiness. I have great respect for the man, even from a merely human point of view... and so to meet him, after reading so much of his work, was a real privilege.

The day before I met him, I thought long and hard about what I would say to him. I was wearing a clerical shirt with a Roman collar, so he would already know that I was a seminarian. I couldn't think of anything for a while, and thought I might tell him my name, where I was from, and show him a picture of my family. But then I decided I needed to keep it simple, because I’d probably just trip over my tongue anyway.

During the Mass, just before I met him, he seemed very frail and weak. But when he walked around afterward, he didn't seem weak at all. He passed by rather quickly; there was just enough time to make eye contact, and then to reach down to kiss his papal ring. Then he was on to the next person.

I thought I had lost my opportunity to say something to him. But I decided to speak up anyway, even though he had moved on. And so I said, not very loudly, "I love you, Papa." He heard me, returned to me and took my hand again, looking at me in his gentle way. He then turned to my teacher, a priest on the seminary faculty, and asked: “Americano?” When my teacher confirmed this, the Pope looked back at me and said, “Good… good.”

I was so grateful for the chance to say these words to the Pope in person. Here he was—the philosopher, the poet, the actor, the pastor, the courageous shepherd, the contemplative, a true friend of God—standing before me, and I was able to express my affection for him. And it wasn’t simply my affection for him, but for the Church he serves, and for Christ from whom he received his commission of service. For me, it was more than a pious sentiment, it was a commitment… to Christ, to the Church, and to him as chief shepherd of the Church.

When my faith grows weak, or when temptation or doubt crowd in, I often bring this moment of commitment before the eyes of my heart. And I remember the way I was sincerely and affectionately received by this giant of our faith. To me, his whole visage proclaims the first words of Christ after the resurrection, and the first words of his papacy: Be not afraid.

Labels: John Paul II, priesthood, respect